Chapter: The Prayer of the Traveler
The fundamental basis for the shortening (qasr) of prayer is the Book, the Sunnah, and the Consensus. As for the Book, it is the saying of Allah, the Exalted: "And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer, if you fear that those who disbelieve may disrupt [or attack] you" (44). Ya'la ibn Umayyah said: I said to Umar ibn al-Khattab: "'There is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer, if you fear that those who disbelieve may disrupt you,' yet the people are now secure?" He replied: "I wondered about what you wondered, so I asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and he said: 'It is a charity that Allah has bestowed upon you, so accept His charity.'" This was recorded by Muslim (46). As for the Sunnah, reports have been transmitted (tawatur) that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to shorten his prayers during his travels, whether for Hajj, 'Umrah, or military expeditions. Ibn Umar said: "I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) until he passed away—meaning in travel—and he would not exceed two rak'ahs. And [I accompanied] Abu Bakr until he passed away, and he would not exceed two rak'ahs; and Umar and Uthman likewise." Ibn Mas'ud said: "I prayed two rak'ahs with the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), two rak'ahs with Abu Bakr, and two rak'ahs with Umar, and then the paths parted ways for you. I wish that I had two accepted rak'ahs instead of four." Anas said: "We went out with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to Makkah, and he prayed two rak'ahs until he returned, and we stayed in Makkah for ten [days] shortening the prayer until..."
(44) Surah al-Nisa 101. (45) In the copies: "ya'na". (46) In: The Chapter on the Prayer of Travelers and its Shortening, from the Book of Travelers. Sahih Muslim 1/478. It was also recorded by Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter on the Prayer of the Traveler, from the Book of Travel, Sunan Abi Dawud 1/274; al-Tirmidhi, in: The Chapter on Surah al-Nisa, from the Chapters of Tafsir, 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 11/163; al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on Shortening the Prayer in Travel, from the Book of Shortening, al-Mujtaba 3/95; Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter on Shortening the Prayer in Travel, from the Book of Establishing Prayer, Sunan Ibn Majah 1/339; al-Darimi, in: The Chapter on Shortening the Prayer in Travel, from the Book of Prayer, Sunan al-Darimi 1/354; and Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 1/25, 36.
بابُ صلاةِ المُسافِرِ
الأصْلُ في قَصْرِ الصلَاةِ الكِتابُ، والسُّنَّةُ، والإِجْماعُ؛ أمَّا الكِتَابُ فَقَوْلُ اللهِ تعَالى: {وَإِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَقْصُرُوا مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ إِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنَكُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا} (٤٤). قال - يَعْلَى (٤٥) بن أُمَيَّةَ - قلتُ لِعمرَ بن الخَطَّابِ: {لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَقْصُرُوا مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ إِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنَكُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا} وقد أمِن النّاسُ؟ فقال: عَجِبْتُ ممَّا عَجِبْتَ منه، فسَأَلْتُ رسولَ اللهِ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-، فقال: "صَدَقَةٌ تَصَدَّقَ اللهُ بِهَا عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْبَلُوا صَدَقَتَهُ". أخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ (٤٦). وأمَّا السُّنَّةُ، فقد تَوَاتَرَتِ الأخْبَارُ أنَّ رسولَ اللهِ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- كان يَقْصُرُ في أسْفَارِهِ، حَاجًّا، ومُعْتَمِرًا، وغَازِيًا. وقال ابنُ عمرَ: صَحِبْتُ رسولَ اللهِ حتى قُبِضَ - يَعْنِى في السَّفَرِ - وكان لا يَزِيدُ على رَكْعَتَيْنِ، وأبا بكرٍ حتى قُبِضَ، وكان لا يَزِيدُ على رَكْعَتَيْنِ، وعمرَ، وعُثْمَانَ كذلك. وقال ابنُ مَسْعُودٍ: صَلَّيْتُ مع النَّبِىِّ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ومع أبي بكرٍ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ومع عمرَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثم تَفَرَّقَتْ بكم الطُّرُقُ. وَوَدَدْتُ أنَّ لي من أَرْبَعٍ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مُتَقَبَّلَتَيْنِ. وقال أنَسٌ: خَرَجْنَا مع رسولِ اللهِ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- إلى مَكَّةَ فصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ حتى رَجَعَ، وأقَمْنَا بمَكَّةَ عَشْرًا نَقْصُرُ الصَّلَاةَ حتى
(٤٤) سورة النساء ١٠١.(٤٥) في النسخ: "يعنى".(٤٦) في: باب صلاة المسافرين وقصرها، من كتاب المسافرين. صحيح مسلم ١/ ٤٧٨. كما أخرجه أبو داود، في: باب صلاة المسافر، من كتاب السفر. سنن أبي داود ١/ ٢٧٤. والترمذي، في: باب سورة النساء، من أبواب التفسير. عارضة الأحوذى ١١/ ١٦٣. والنسائي، في: باب تقصير الصلاة في السفر، من كتاب التقصير. المجتبى ٣/ ٩٥. وابن ماجه، في: باب تقصير الصلاة في السفر، من كتاب إقامة الصلاة. سنن ابن ماجه ١/ ٣٣٩. والدارمي، في: باب قصر الصلاة في السفر، من كتاب الصلاة. سنن الدارمي ١/ ٣٥٤. والإِمام أحمد، في: المسند ١/ ٢٥، ٣٦.
